From Bean to Brand: Nigeria and Allies Launch Cocoa Alliance

​In a landmark shift for the global chocolate industry, four of Africa’s leading cocoa-producing nations—Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon—are set to launch a historic alliance aimed at ending the decades-old practice of exporting raw cocoa beans. The coalition, representing roughly two-thirds of the world’s total cocoa production, will formalize this partnership at the upcoming Cocoa Value Addition Summit 2026 in Abuja.

​From Commodity Exporters to Value Creators

​The summit, themed “From Bean to Brand,” marks a decisive move by the quartet to transition from being mere suppliers of raw materials to becoming competitive processors and brand owners. By signing the “Abuja Declaration,” the nations aim to establish a Cocoa Value Addition Alliance that will coordinate industrial policies, standardize production and quality metrics, and present a united front when negotiating with global markets.

​Senator John Owan Enoh, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Industry, emphasized the urgency of this transition. “For a hundred years, Africa has sent its cocoa to the world in sacks and received it back in wrappers, paying at both ends of the transaction,” he stated. “The distance between a bean and a brand is measured in jobs and in dignity.”

​Strengthening the Value Chain

​Beyond the regional alliance, Nigeria is set to launch a national Cocoa Value Addition Accord. This compact will align federal and state governments, farmer organizations, and development finance institutions to foster a more robust domestic processing environment.

​A central focus of the initiative is to bolster Nigeria’s industrial infrastructure. The summit will provide updates on the construction of a massive 70,000-metric-tonne capacity processing plant currently being developed by Sunbeth Global Concepts in Sagamu, Ogun State, with commissioning slated for 2027.

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​Addressing Global Pressures

​The timing of this alliance is critical as the industry grapples with significant volatility and new international trade requirements. A primary concern for the bloc is the European Union’s upcoming Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which takes effect on December 30, 2026. The new alliance plans to lobby for the recognition of national traceability systems, ensuring that the financial burden of compliance does not fall disproportionately on smallholder farmers.

​This initiative is part of a broader push by the current administration to drive economic diversification through agro-industrialization, effectively turning the continent’s dominance in cocoa production into tangible economic prosperity.